This summer, the Briefs mother ship crash-lands into The Southbank for an alien invasion of the third kind. They boys are back in town with a dazzling new show, Close Encounters. Featuring their trademark heart-stopping blend of cabaret burlesque, comic capery Australian machismo and punkish swagger, these extra-terrestrial invaders are taking no prisoners.
Following four consecutive sell out runs in London and having glitter-bombed the globe as we know it, the renegade band of boys are now ready to explore the third dimension to test the limits of masculinity, taste and decency. Expect galactic glamour, astro-athleticism, dark-side drag, inter stellar aerials and warp speed strippers from outer space.
The cosmic crew are powered by a fierce energy as they mix up a rocket-fuel blend of dancing, tumbling, juggling, acro-balancing, trapeze, hula hooping, lip-syncing, sequins, feathers and frocks. At the helm of starship Briefs is Commander Shivannah (Fez Faanana) who, with voluminous sleeves and steely grip, leads the cosmic crew through the show with astronomical audacity. The Las Vegas award-winning Captain Kidd takes proceedings to the outer limits with his alluring athleticism. The anarchic alien provocateur Harry Clayton-Wright goes where no man has gone before with his mix of comedy, cabaret and live art. The elastic android Thomas Gundry Greenfield bends eyes with his twists and turns. One of Australia’s leading aerialists, contortionists and circus trainers, Thomas Worrell, defies gravity and literally ties himself in knots as he takes a lone space walk over the audience. The queer Kamilaroi man from Mungindi Dale Woodbridge Brown goes into hyper-drive with his acrobatics, flying trapeze, baton twirling, and dance. And Louis Biggs sets his phaser to stun as he has the audience gasping for mercy.
Briefs began in 2008 as a speakeasy in the bowels of Brisbane’s alternative variety scene initially setting out to create an informal space where professional performers could test drive innovative, late night cabaret acts. In 2010, they transitioned from the late night performance club to a performance ensemble when the company was engaged to create its first ‘official’ full-length work. Over the last five years Briefs have swaggered, shimmied, swished and swung all over the World, selling out in London, Berlin, Paris, Auckland, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide.
BRIEFS plays at the Underbelly Festival July 14 to September 30 2017
Photo: John Tsiavis
